The Story Continued
by Barlie
Summary: When Marie-Katherine is needed in MoonHaven, what are the Boggans going to think of it? They know that she was the reason they lost the battle, and they all want revenge. Can she stay and help MoonHaven, or will things get too out of hand? And, M.K finds a secret about herself that she never thought would of been possible. Will she keep it a secret? Who knows. Oh yeah, I do. ;D
1. Chapter 1:

" M.K! " My dad shouts from the kitchen. I walk over to him, yawning.

" Yeah, dad? " I ask, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. Ozzi, our three-legged pug runs around my feet and I struggle to walk out of his way. He hands me a piece of paper while having toast in his mouth. I notice that the markings are from ink, and not a pencil or printed on normal paper. I shrug as my eyes scan over the letter.

_Dear M.K,_

_This is Ronin. I need to meet you out in the forest where you first found Queen Tara. It's urgent. Please, come as quick as you can. ~__Ronin_

I shake my head, letting my loose reddish-brown locks fall at my chest. My hair is kind of curly, but manageable. It doesn't even look bad. I can just clip some hair back, and poof, beautiful.

" Dad, you're gonna want to read this. " I say, my voice hinting in urgency. He turns towards me, and places his glasses on and strips the paper from my outstretched hand. I watch him as he reads over it and looks at me.

" You mean, they're going to shrink you.. again? " He inquires, his eyes widening in alarm. I shrug, and I hug my baggy sweater. It's color is a snowy white, and I'm wearing pale blue yoga like shorts to go with it. Dad shakes his head sadly, " Alright. It must be important. Go meet Ronin. Just know, " He pauses and looks at me, his eyes full of concern, " I'll be waiting for your return. "

I walk over to him and I wrap my arms around him. " I'll be back, Dad. I promise. " He parts from me and I dash up the stairs. I pin my hair back, but not all of it. Some hangs loosely at my chest and I change into a plain baby yellow sweater and some black leggings that are flexible to move in. Who knows what's going to happen while I'm there?

I walk into the forest, but I stop to look back at the house. Dad is standing there, waving at me. Ozzi's standing next to him and yelping widely. I raise my hand weakly and I wave back in return. I smile at him sadly as I turn back and I push into the forest.

I finally get to the clearing where I found Queen Tara, and I see two little figures standing on the floor. They're shimmering, and I realize that I move like a slow giant to them. I notice that one is Ronin, and one is the new Queen.

The trees around me cover the darkening sky. There's signs of a storm. I cover my face as leaves and wind come kicking up towards me and I feel the ground shift. I look down, and I realize that everything's huge. There's a hummingbird that I didn't realize was there before. Ronin and the Queen are now normal size, and I look down. My black tennis shoes are almost being swallowed up by sloppy mud. I cry out, and I back into something.

" Watch out there, girlie. " I hear his familiar voice and I stare at Ronin's face. He still looks the same.

" How's your dad doing? " He asks, his voice thick with an accent I don't quite know. Maybe British. Maybe.

" He's doing fine, and I am too. Thank you for asking. " I huff, and I cross my arms. He smiles slightly.

" Oh don't worry. There's going to be plenty of people asking you how you've been when we get back to MoonHaven. " He states as a matter-of-fact. I glance around, looking for the Queen.

I finally see her as she walks over to us, her eyes twinkling. " It's great to see you! " Her voice is light and pure, and I smile back at her.

" You too, your Majesty. " I say, and I take a slight bow and she giggles.

" There's no need. " She calls out, and motions for us to follow her. I watch as Ronin encourages me on and she leads us to another hummingbird. It has white feathers with the occasional gold feather here and there. Its eyes are pools of turquoise and it has a harness on it that looks like it's made of shimmering gold. The saddle is made of some type of leaf that shines a fierce yellow light.

" She's beautiful. " I whisper, gazing at the bird in awe. The Queen grins happily, and she claps her hands together.

" I'm glad you think so, because she's yours. " Ronin states, and I gape at him.

" Wha? "

" I said, she's yours. " He repeats, and he looks at me amused from my reaction. " We all know how good of a flyer you are, and we wanted to give you a welcome back gift. This here, is the fastest flying bird in all of MoonHaven. She can take you anywhere you need to go. She's also extremely loyal. "

I stare at the bird silently, still processing the news. " What's her name? " I ask, glancing back at Ronin.

" That's the best part! She's yours to name. " The Queen squeals, and I stroke my forehead.

" I think I'll name her.. " I stop, and rub my chin to think, " Elysium. "

" Wonderful! Now, Nod was super impatient when we told him that he couldn't come to see you when you first got here. We had to have someone watch him so that he didn't sneak out here for you! " The Queen states, and she shakes her head.

" What- why? " I ask, tilting my head and staring at her.

" Because! We're going to dress you up to look pretty for him when you see him for the first time! "

I stare accusingly at Ronin, " You know I don't like all the mushy girly stuff, right? " I cross my arms once again, and Ronin shakes his head.

" Queen's orders. " He says, and his mouth curves into a smile. I sigh in defeat.

" Okay. But you, " I point at Ronin, and glare at him, " aren't staying to help dress me up. "


	2. Chapter 2:

" You should wear this one! No- that one! No- this one! " The Queen's voice rings through the palace wardrobe as I stand around awkwardly.

" Ugh, M.K help me out here? Which one do you like? " She asks, holding up a myriad of bright colored petal dresses. I shrug, and I look at my hands. They're shaking. " You're not good at this whole girly thing. " She huffs, and goes back to looking at dresses.

" I don't know, Dandelion. " ( I'm just gonna name her that because I don't know her real name ) I slouch my shoulders as I stare at the pile of dresses. I see something silver sparkle.

" Wait- what about that one? " I ask, pointing at a dress on the floor. The Queen looks at me as she picks up the dress and lays it out in front of me.

" That one? " She asks, and I nod back to her.

" That one. "

* * *

Dandelion has turned me into a princess. My hair is tied into a long, messy fishtail braid that goes down to my elbows. She put a few white flowers in my hair that have small diamonds in them. Diamonds! My face is still the same, but somehow the people here have something similar to mascara and Dandelion used that on my eyes, too. I'm wearing a white lace dress with lace sleeves. It drags on the ground, but according to Dandelion it's made from the finest material, handcrafted by spiders. She said it wouldn't break even if I tried to snap it. I'm supposed to meet Nod tonight. I haven't spoken to him for about 4 months, and for me that's like eternity. Our communicating system broke down, and we couldn't fix it. At least, not yet anyways. I head down to the lake, where Dandelion told me to meet him.

I see a figure standing at the edge of the pond, and I see a hint of chocolate brown hair. My heart suddenly starts to race as I continue to walk towards the figure. It turns around.

" Nod! " I cry out, starting to run towards him. My bare feet him the soil and I get closer to him. He holds out his arms and I rush into them. Nod's arms encircle me as I feel him let out a relieved breath.

" M.K.. " He breathes out, and I feel him stroke my hair soothingly. I bury my head into his shoulder, and I breath in, only to sound like a sob. " It's okay, M.K I'm here now. We're together. "

We part after a moment of comfort, and he stands back to take a good look at me. I scrutinize him, as well. His hair still looks the same, and he's in his leafmen armor.

" Come back from working? " I tease, and he smiles. He grasps my slim hand and he leads me towards a lily pad that has lights flickering around it. I stare at the sky in awe as the stars twinkle in the sky.

" You look beautiful. " Nod says as he leads me. I blush, and I brush a stray hair behind my ear. We stop at the edge of the pad, and I look down into the still water. It's like a mirror, reflecting everything that is shown before it. I look at Nod, and he puts his free hand through his hair. He looks at me with his brown eyes, and I lean my head on his shoulder.

" Thanks. " I mumble, glancing at the fireflies that glide across the water. One comes near us, and I shrink away, only to have Nod laugh.

" Hey, I'm still not used to this whole tiny people thing, or whatever this is. " I motion at the rest of MoonHaven, and I breath out in annoyance.

" Aw, you'll be fine. " Nod says, and he reaches his hand out. I take it, and I notice that the branches shook above us. Nod starts to lead me back towards the shore, and I stop in my tracks. I'm still looking at the branch when I see a flash of fur.

" Nod, wait. " I say, and I glance back at the trees. I hear his footsteps halt, and I avert my gaze back at him.

" The branches- I saw some sort of fur. " I whisper, and a flashback pops into my head. Mandrake- the leader of the Boggans, and his bat fur cape. I can still remember his eyes, the way they could bore into your soul. I close my eyes and shudder. Nod tilts his head at me, and look where I was looking before.

" I don't see anything, M.K. " He states, and looks back at me. I open my mouth to say something when something shoots past my head and I step back in shock. I slip on the ground as I'm consumed by the water. Before I go all the way under, I let out a startled shriek and I close my eyes.

When I hit the water, I feel something tug at my hair and dress. I open my eyes, only to see Boggans under the water. Struggling, I try to get above the water, but it's no use. Finally, with my last ounce of strength I kick the Boggan holding me down in the face and his grip loosens. He lets go of my dress completely, and I make a break for the surface. I gasp for air when I'm out of the water, and I drag myself out.

When my vision clears, I see Nod fighting Boggans and I pull myself onto my feet. I pull a Boggan away from Nod and I shove it into the water. He punches the last one in the face and I feel a hand grip my wrist. I'm pulled away from Nod and I squirm to get away from the thing holding me away from Nod. I look behind me and I see Ronin on a hummingbird.

" Get on, now! " He calls out, and he jumps off and gets a sword out. I try to follow him, but he looks back at me and repeats himself. " Run! "

I shake my head in despair as I haul myself onto the hummingbird and it flies away in a hurry. Looking back, I see Ronin slash at the Boggans coming up from the water as Nod fist fights some of the Boggans on land. His eyes lock on mine for a moment, and I see his eyes are filled with worry.

" Nod! " I point behind him, trying to warn him of the Boggans that broke through Ronin's fighting. As he turns around, I look up at the branches and I see the leafmen fighting a hoard of the Boggans. I close my eyes, but I open them again to see Mandrake. He's closing in on Nod, his staff ready in front of him. Nod's fighting the Boggans, and he shouts at me, " M.K go! "

I shake my head and I pull the reins on the hummingbird. It flies down and I close in on Mandrake. Nod and Ronin both look at me as I jump.


	3. Chapter 3:

I land on Mandrake's back as I dig my nails into his shoulders. He cries out in pain as I hold on for dear life. Mandrake slashes back with his staff, and it comes in contact with my chest. I cry out in shock as Boggans come up behind me. I pull my arm around Mandrake's neck. His fleshy fingers try to pry me off of him, but I hold on even tighter. I'm thrown off by him bending down and straightening quickly. I land on the floor with a thud, and he towers above me. Nod and Ronin come rushing for me, but are stopped by a wall of Boggans surrounding me and Mandrake.

" You shouldn't of done that, girl. " He spats, his eyes filled with hatred. I stare him down, and he raises his staff. " Any last words? "

I hear Nod call out my name, and he tries desperately to get his way through. I whisper, my eyes stinging, " Nod. "

" Wrong answer. " Mandrake says, and he brings down his staff. I roll out of the way just in time to hear the crunch of the staff hit the soil and the black gunk surrounds the staff. He cries out in frustration as he grips my neck. I struggle, but his hold is like iron. I'm dangling in the air as he smiles evilly. He opens his mouth to say something, but is caught off by a fist coming in contact with the back of his head. He drops to the floor, with my neck still in his hand. I fall a little to the left of him, and I sit on the floor, a little dazed. I see two leaf shoes come my way, and I'm lifted into the air. I'm in someone's arms.

" She's quite something. " I hear Ronin whisper, and I look up. Nod is holding me tightly against him, and I realize my head is hanging back. I'm too tired to do anything, and I feel a sharp pain in my side. I wince in pain as I notice my dress has a blood stain in it.

" Nod.. " I mumble weakly, and he pulls me closer to him. A group of leafmen fall from the sky, and they raise their bows at Mandrake, who got up and is still a little confused.

" Nice try, Mandrake. But, it's over. " He states, his eyes glaring into his. I notice Mandrake look at me, with his glowing eyes and he spats, " This isn't over, girl. "

I try to retort at him back, but no words come out of my mouth. He smiles in achievement, " Looks like I've already won. " Mandrake motions at my wound, and Ronin looks at me in horror.

" Nod, get her to the healer. " He says, his voice filled with concern. Nod stares at Mandrake with hatred as I feel him run past the Boggans coming in on either side of us. More and more leafmen surround us, and Ronin stays behind to deal with Mandrake. I whisper Nod's name one more time before everything turns black and dark.

* * *

" This isn't your fault, Nod. You didn't know. "

" But it **is **my fault. I should of protected her! "

" How could you when there were at least two dozen Boggans guarding Mandrake? "

" I.. I- "

" Exactly. "

I crack open my eyes slightly to see Nod and Ronin standing above me, looking down at me in worry. Nod sees my eyes open and I feel a hand on my cheek.

" Nod.. " I whisper, smiling a little. His eyes are tinted with red. He must of been crying recently. I try to sit up, only to feel sick and I slouch back down on the leave bed I'm in.

" You were hit with Mandrake's staff. " Ronin says, his hands curled into fists. " You're lucky to of been conscious that long. "

I shake my head, trying to get it clear again. " H- He was going to attack Nod and I- " I stop and I place my hand on my forehead. Nod looks at me, his eyes saddened.

" I'm okay, really. " I state, staring at the ceiling. My eyes unfocus and I start to breathe slower. I feel like I should close my eyes. I'd be at peace, relaxed. Maybe if I just rested for a bit..

" M.K. " Ronin's voice breaks my thought of sleeping, and I stare at him, dizzy. His voice echoes through my head as I turn away from him to stare outside and I see a glowing light. A hand reaches out and touches my shoulder, and I look back at Nod and Ronin.

" She's going unconscious again. " Ronin says, and he turns around. I hear him talking to someone and Nod grasps my hand in his.

" You're going to be fine, M.K. " He whispers, and I nod slightly. I try to stay awake, but my eyes grow heavier and I let sleep consume me.


	4. Chapter 4:

My eyes shoot open to the sound of a crash. I sit up, looking around wildely. I flinch in agony as my side aches. Shaking my head, I realize I'm still wearing the dress that I borrowed from Dandelion.

" I don't think she'll want it back now.. " I mumble, rubing my temples. Slowly, I trudge out of the infirmary, and into the center of MoonHaven. There's leafmen all around, and the citizens are all crowding in one place, chatting about something. I scan the crowd of leafmen, searching for Ronin or Nod. But, instead of finding them, I find Mub and Grub instead.

" M.K! What's going on, baby girl? " Mub asks, petting his slimy body as they make their way over to me. I cross my arms playfully.

" I'm doing fine, Mub. But, have you seen Nod or Ronin by any chance? " I ask, looking at Mub then Grub. Since Grub became a leafmen, he must know where they are.

" They're out talking with the Queen. " Grub answers, shoving Mub to the side. He glares at Grub, and pushes him back.

" Oh, what happened to your side? " He asks, his eyes locked onto my wound. I cross my arms over the blood stain and I look away. My hair is out of its braid, and it falls loose at my back.

" Mandrake is what happened. " I say, finally glancing back at the duo. Their eyes both widen, and Mub takes my hand.

" I wish I could've been there. I would've punched his ugly face in! " He threatens, and I smile.

" Good to know. " I stop, and look at the palace, " I'll see you guys later? " They both nod, and they start to slither away, talking about ways to fight the Boggans.

As I make my way towards the Queen's meeting room, I notice that the sun is rising. How long have I been asleep? I guess I'll just have to find out.

I peel open the leaf doors and I see three figures standing in the center of the room. My side still aches, and I place my hand on it to try to stop the pain. Ronin and Nod turn to look at me and I watch as Nod runs towards me.

" M.K! What are you doing just walking around? " He calls out, grabbing my arm gently and I lean on him.

" I woke up to a crash, and I came to see what it was. But apparently, no one else heard it. " I mumble, glancing around and gazing at the flowers that tower above me. Dandelion walks over to me and she stares at me in shock.

" Oh my gosh, what the heck happened?! " She places her hands over her mouth and I reach my hand out towards her.

" Don't worry, Dandelion. I'm fine. It only aches a little. " I try to reassure her, only to have her nod slightly. She doesn't believe me. Nod leads me towards Ronin and he grabs my other arm. They both haul me to a leaf chair that Dandelion grew just a second ago.

" Guys, don't. I'm fine. " I say, trying to get them to not baby me. Nod looks at me, and shakes his head sadly. I notice he has some cuts and bruises on his face and knuckles.

" Nod, are you okay? You've got bruises on your hands. " I whipser, motioning at his injured hands.

He glances at them, and smiles, " It's worth it. I taught those Boggans a thing or two about messing with leafmen. " I blow a peice of stray hair out of my face as I grin at him, showing my white teeth.

Ronin steps forwards, and looks at me with concern. " Nim Galoo was going through his scrolls, and- well.. he found something about your mother. " I stare at him blankly and he goes on, " Your mother, Susan, was a leafman- like us. "

My eyes widen in shock, " What are you talking about? I mean- she couldn't of been- " I stop, and I place my hands on my forehead. I glance up at Ronin, " How? " I avert my gaze at Nod, and he looks just as surprised as I am.

" Apparently she was one of the best warriors we've ever had. But, when her mother died from a Boggan ambush, she made the Queen make her a stomper. She swore that her future children would not grow up in a world like this. Then, she fell in love, got pregnant, had you, and never told you about her past. "

I cover my face with my hands and I slouch down. " Then- why didn't she believe my dad when he told her about you? About the little people living in the woods? " I hold back the tears that threaten to stream down my cheeks. My voice sounds broken, and I curl my hands into tiny fists.

" Remember, she hated this world. She never wanted you to know about how she grew up. What she did- she did out of love. " He tries to reassure me, and I nod in defeat.

" Okay, okay. I just- I wonder what things would of been like if I grew up in this world. " I stop, and look at my hands, " I probably wouldn't feel like such an outcast. " Nod walks up to me, and grabs my hand.

" You are **not **an outcast, M.K. In fact, you're the reason for why we won the battle againt Mandrake! " I smile a little.

" My name isn't M.K. " I start, taking a deep breath. Nod and Ronin both suck in air as I continue, " It's Marie-Katherine. M.K is just a nickname. But, I come to realize that I have to accept who I am, and Marie-Katherine isn't such a bad name after all. "

" Are you kidding? " Nod asks, and he steps forwards. Ronin crosses his arms and glares at him.

" Nod- " He warns, but Nod cuts him off with a wave of his hand.

" Marie-Katherine, " He pauses, and I feel like I was just slapped in the face, " is an extraordinary name. " He smiles, and I feel a weight is finally lifted off my shoulders.

I smile and I cry out gleefully. Nod grasps my hands, but I wrap my arms around his neck and he swings me into the air. I can see Dandelion and Ronin standing off to the side, gazing at us in amusement.

" I'm glad I finally told you guys. " I say, letting out a relieved sigh.

Nod nods, ( xP ) " Me too. "


End file.
